


Standing Up for the Shield

by Ultra



Category: Agent Carter (TV), Timeless (TV 2016)
Genre: 1940s, Attempt at Humor, Car Chases, Crossover, Drama, Gen, Hero Worship, Period-Typical Sexism, Rittenhouse (Timeless), Shooting Guns, Spies & Secret Agents, Strong Female Characters, Team Dynamics, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-02
Updated: 2018-10-02
Packaged: 2019-07-23 21:50:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16167587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ultra/pseuds/Ultra
Summary: The Mothership just jumped to New York in 1946 and so the Time Team must give chase in the Lifeboat - the future of SHIELD might depend on them!





	Standing Up for the Shield

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Redrikki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Redrikki/gifts).



They all came running the moment the alarm sounded, just like always, knowing that The Mothership had jumped again.

“September 21st, 1946,” said Jiya, reading from the screen. “New York City.”

All eyes went to Lucy, but she shook her head.

“Doesn’t ring any bells with me. I mean, the war was over, there were still repercussions from that, but nothing specific for that time and place.”

“No significant events?” Agent Christopher prompted. “No famous people visiting the city, notable deaths, assassination attempts?”

Lucy opened her mouth to say no, but never got the chance.

“They’re going after the SSR,” said Flynn darkly. “The Strategic Scientific Reserve?” he explained to the seemingly blank faces staring at him. “There was a reference in the Rittenhouse papers I saw, but I had no idea why. Given what happened recently with SHIELD and Hydra, I suspected the damage had already been done.”

“Clearly not all the damage that could be done,” said Agent Christopher sadly. “Okay, we have a lead. The New York branch of the SSR was under the New York Bell Company Office. Get there, find the sleeper, get the job done,” she said, nodding once at Flynn.

There was a grudging respect between them these days, and in this particular case, they both had a better understanding than most. They were both agents in their respective organisations and it was agents lives they were hoping to save today.

As the guys piled into The Lifeboat and Rufus started her up, Wyatt looked back from the door and Flynn stopped half way up the stairs, the two of them wondering why Lucy hadn’t moved yet.

“Lucy?” Wyatt called to her.

“The SSR, New York, 1946,” she said, turning slowly to face them, a smile coming to her lips. “You do realise who we’ll probably meet there? Agent Peggy Carter!” she exclaimed happily. “She was incredible. Most people only remember her for being Captain America’s girlfriend during the war, but after... she was the only active female agent in the SSR, great friends with Howard Stark. They were two of the key people in the founding of SHIELD!”

“Which would make her the perfect target for Rittenhouse,” said Flynn, meeting her eyes. “That’s why we need to go.”

Lucy didn’t need telling twice.

* * *

“I think it’s fairly clear that we have a traitor amongst us,” said Peggy Carter, standing up from her seat and straightening her skirt. “Since we are all clear on the fact that traitor is no-one in this room, that only proves it is one of the people sitting out there,” she said, gesturing vaguely to the bullpen beyond the conference room door.

“You expect me to believe that one of our own is out to sabotage our mission?” asked Thompson, smirking hard. “Carter, I hate to get personal, but are you having some kind of women’s issues that are bringing on this paranoia?”

“Jack,” said Sousa with a look. “Really?”

“What? Do you really think her theory is any less crazy than mine?”

“Daniel?” Peggy prompted when he failed to answer.

“I don’t know,” he admitted at last. “It seems wrong to suspect anyone here, but at the same time, it is possible to have a fox in the hen house. You have any idea on where we start in looking into this, Peggy?” he asked her then.

“I have my suspicions,” she told them both. “Agent Dobson is acting very strangely of late. I think he expects me to accept that he has an interest in me personally, but I’m afraid I don’t quite believe him. Flattered as I’m sure I’m supposed to be, he seems to know too much, be too forward, I... I don’t trust him,” she said definitely.

“This whole thing comes from a guy hitting on you?” asked Thompson, eyes wide. “Okay, I’m out,” he declared then, getting up and leaving the room without another word.

Peggy looked to Daniel for support and found he would hardly look at her.

“So much for the assistance of my fellow agents,” she huffed, turning on her heel and leaving too.

Peggy checked her watch as she crossed to her desk. Gathering up her things, she headed out of the office, glad that she could escape for a while. Sometimes she wondered how she was ever supposed to do her job at all if nobody would believe a bloody word she said.

Men were pigs sometimes. Of course, she had at least one man in her life who could be trusted and that was her good friend, Mr Jarvis. She smiled as she stepped outside and found him waiting for her with the car, as usual.

“You have no idea how pleased I am to see you, Mr Jarvis,” she told him, smiling as he opened the passenger door for her. “It has been quite the trying day and I am glad of any company that won’t belittle me at every turn.”

“Indeed, Miss Carter,” he said, clearly just a little bemused as to what had happened, but she could always explain all on the trip home.

Neither Peggy nor Jarvis were aware that they were being watched, by no less than two parties. Across the street, Wyatt, Rufus, Flynn, and Lucy all tried to act natural and casual in an appropriated car, as they kept an eye on the door of the SSR offices. That came easier to the guys than to Lucy herself.

“I can’t believe it,” she said giddily. “Agent Peggy Carter. She is just a legend and such an inspiration.”

“And we’re not the only ones keeping watch on her,” Wyatt noted, gesturing as inconspicuously as possible towards another car pulling away from the kerb, seemingly following Agent Carter’s car down the street.

“Could be a coincidence,” Rufus considered, “or just a fellow agent covering her. Safety in numbers?”

“Maybe, but I doubt it,” Flynn told him.

“Okay, how about this?” said Lucy then, finding some calm now that Peggy was out of sight. “Wyatt, why don’t you go inside, see what you can find out at the office? I hate to say it but as the only white guy with an American accent here, you have the best chance of not standing out, maybe even passing as an agent. Rufus can continue watching the building from the outside, keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Flynn and I can take the car and follow Agent Carter and her tail.”

“No problem to me,” said Flynn, immediately moving to get into the driver’s seat.

Since Wyatt and Rufus had no arguments either, the mission was a go.

* * *

“It sounds as if you have had quite the day of it, Miss Carter,” Jarvis sympathised after she finished telling him about her troubles.

“Indeed, Jarvis, and apparently, it is not about to improve,” she noted, checking the rear-view mirror. “I do believe we are being followed, and by Agent Dobson himself,” she huffed and sighed. “Why does no-one in that bloody office listen to me? Mr Jarvis, evasive manoeuvres, if you would be so kind.”

“Quite so, Miss Carter,” he agreed, commencing to drive somewhat erratically, and yet still as safely as he could, in an attempt to lose the car that seemed determined to follow them.

* * *

It was more by luck than judgement that Lucy and Flynn had managed to catch up to the supposed sleeper agent following Peggy Carter’s car, but it still seemed impossible to get really close. They really had no way of warning her what might be about to happen.

“This is crazy. We can’t just follow behind like this,” Lucy complained. “If the car in front is the sleeper agent, then all we’re going to achieve is being spectators to the murder of one of the world’s leading agents.”

“I have an idea,” said Flynn then, yanking on the wheel.

Lucy braced herself in the passenger seat, wincing as they shot down an alley.

“What are you doing?”

“I know New York pretty well,” Flynn told her. “This is a shortcut. If I time this right...” he said, smiling in a way that made Lucy just a little nervous and saying no more, which was probably worse.

Suddenly, they were out in the road again, cutting in between Peggy Carter’s car and the sleeper agent’s vehicle right behind. The latter caught the back of Flynn and Lucy’s car, spinning it around but causing no harm to the passengers.

From that moment, things got more than a little out of hand. At Flynn’s instruction, Lucy stayed in the car and kept her head down, while he leapt out, gun in hand. Agent Carter was out of her car by now too, also armed, as was the Rittenhouse sleeper who clearly intended to kill her. It was quite the melee as the sleeper shot out the engine block on Carter’s car and her driver complained loudly. Flynn aimed for the sleeper, missing by inches as he ducked behind his own vehicle, and Carter yelled for Dobson to stand down.

Lucy could well understand her confusion. No doubt the sleeper had infiltrated the SSR years before. To Carter he was just a fellow agent gone rogue, and there was no way to explain any different to her. All Lucy and Flynn could do was try to ensure Peggy Carter lived to fight another day, but even that was proving easier said than done.

There was an almost frightening silence for a minute or two and then suddenly a cry.

“Mr Jarvis, now!” Agent Carter exclaimed.

There was a strange sound and then a great cloud of smoke engulfed the car in which Lucy was hiding. Pushing open the door, she staggered out, coughing and choking, cowering when three shots rang out too close to her head, one after another.

“Flynn?” she called when silence reigned once more.

“Lucy?” he yelled back, going in search of her.

They found each other at the back of the car, looking left and right for any further danger, Flynn’s gun still ready in his hands.

“Oh my God!” Lucy gasped, realising Peggy was on the ground with her driver hovering over her.

As she ran to help, Flynn edged towards the sleeper that he had shot himself to check he was going to stay down. There was one bullet in his head from Flynn’s own weapon, and another in his chest. Peggy Carter really was as good as they said, though without their intervention, there was every chance she wouldn't have got her shot in at all.

“Miss Carter, are you quite alright?” asked Jarvis, helping her to sit up.

“Miss Carter, oh my God, we’re so sorry about all of this,” Lucy gabbled from her other side.

It was clear by now that she was not so very badly hurt. The bullet from the sleeper’s gun had gone incredibly wide, just grazing Peggy’s arm. She was bleeding, but she would certainly live.

“Who on earth are you?” she asked Lucy, before turning to her friend. “Please, Mr Jarvis, don’t fuss so!” she insisted, even as he bound her arm with a handkerchief.

“We’re... agents,” said Lucy awkwardly. “Different organisation but the same side. We realised that Dobson was a threat, so we came to assist,” she said, glad to have heard the man’s name in the fight before.

“He’s dead,” said Flynn, coming over to the join them. “You are an extremely good shot, Agent Carter,” he told her with a charming smile.

“And you do not have the accent of a man I would assume to be on my side in a fight,” she told him smoothly. “But I am grateful for your assistance, Mr...?”

“It is best you don’t know our names,” said Flynn carefully. “Actually, we should be going, since our work here is done.”

Lucy looked up at him with a disappointment clear in her eyes, and yet, she knew, with the mission complete, they really should leave. After all, no point in messing with history any more than they needed to. Of all people, Lucy understood how dangerous that could turn out to be.

* * *

As the team all headed back to The Lifeboat, it was clear that Lucy was not at all ready to go, even though she knew she had no choice.

“That was almost too easy,” she said, shaking his head.

“I’m not complaining about that,” Rufus told her, climbing up into the ship with Wyatt right behind him.

“I’m sorry but are you really saying you wouldn’t want to go on a real live mission with the world’s most amazing female agent?” she asked them all, wide-eyed and disbelieving.

“I thought we just did,” said Flynn from behind her, making her smile more than a little.

“Wow, there really is a first time for everything,” said Wyatt, turning back at the door to The Lifeboat. “I actually agree with Flynn,” he told Lucy with a smile of his own.

Lucy was grinning from ear to ear and blushing too as they all finally took their seats in the ship and Rufus punched in the coordinates to take them home.

Just as The Lifeboat popped out of time and space, Peggy Carter and Edwin Jarvis arrived on the scene, both truly amazed by what they had just seen happen.

“My word!” Jarvis gasped, blinking hard. “Did I just...? Surely, that contraption...?” he trailed off, making a magician’s sort of ‘presto’ gesture with his hands.

Peggy shook her head in wonder.

“Mr Jarvis, I do believe we have just had out first encounter with time travellers,” she declared, glancing down at the item she had found in the alley when the strangers had left them.

It had fallen from the man’s pocket, a photograph of a woman and child, in full colour, no less, with what seemed to be a date handwritten on the back - 24th December 2013.

“This means that time travel is actually possible,” she said, looking from the picture to the place where the supposed time machine had just disappeared, “and therefore, unfortunately, I owe Howard Stark five bloody dollars!”


End file.
